Giant Paper Flower
Description frameless | right | 250px | Paper + Cup's Giant Flower Vase Nothing really compares to fresh flowers when it comes to brightening up a room, but this imaginative paper craft from Paper + Cup's beautiful new book, Paper + Craft, is a great alternative. Not only is it inexpensive to create, but it lasts longer and is much easier to maintain! It distracts the eye away from the heater and is able to withstand the extreme changes in temperature. Real flowers wouldn’t stand a chance in those conditions. While silk flowers could serve the same purpose, there is something satisfying about crafting this flower on your own out of paper. Best of all, you don’t have to water it! This also makes for a great Easter or spring time craft. Type of Craft Paper crafts Difficulty Level Difficult Supplies Needed Supplies: *Flower template *3 sheets 8 1⁄2-by-11-in (22-by-28-cm) plain text-weight paper *Scissors *Pencil *2 sheets 10-by-49-in (25-by-125-cm) doublette (double-thick) yellow and white crepe paper *1 sheet 20-by-96-in (50-by-250-cm) of each White, yellow, and black crepe paper *Ruler *Vase *Wire cutters *1⁄4-in (6-mm) metal threaded rod *Paper-covered floral wire *Floral tape *1 sheet 20-by-96-in (50-by-250-cm) green crepe paper *Glue or transparent tape Directions Step One: Cut out the flower petals. Download the flower template from here and print out onto text-weight paper. Using scissors, cut out the pieces. Then with a pencil, trace five 6-in (15-cm) and five 8-in (20-cm) petals onto the doublette yellow and white crepe paper, and five 5-in (13-cm) petals onto the white crepe paper, and five 7-in (18-cm) petals onto the yellow crepe paper. Step Two: Make the stem. Using a ruler, measure the height of the vase in order to determine the length of the stem. With wire cutters, cut the thin metal rod. Step Three: Form the flower bud. Crumple up some of the leftover yellow crepe paper into a ball and wrap a new sheet of black crepe paper around it to form a 2½-in (6-cm)-round “bud.” With scissors, cut a strip of black crepe paper that is 32 in (81 cm) long by 4 in (10 cm) wide, and create a fringe by making crosswise cuts in the strip about ½ in (13 mm) apart, stopping just short of the edge so it stays intact. Starting from one edge of the fringe strip, roll it around the bud, keeping the bottom of the bud tightly pinched. Twist the ends of the bud fringes with lightly wet fingertips. Step Three: Add the petals to the flower. Take the bud and place it next to the stem. Attach the pieces together by securing first with floral wire and then covering with floral tape. Then add the small white petals, placing their bases around the top of the stem, and securing with floral tape by wrapping the tape around the stem. Next, place the 6-in (15-cm) doublette yellow and white petals around the center bud, on top of the smaller petals. Secure with more floral tape by wrapping the tape around the stem. Repeat with the larger petals as you progress, until the flower has the shape you desire. Wrap the bottom of the flower and the stem with floral tape to keep the flower petals secure. Step Three: Finishing touches. Wrap the stem tightly with a long strip of green crepe paper to cover up the floral tape, and glue in place at the end of the stem. Place in the vase. Additional Ideas Experiment with different flower shapes. These work great for centerpieces and boutonnieres. These paper flowers can also be hung from the ceiling for party decorations. Additional Photos Paper + Craft.jpg|Paper + Craft book|link=http://easycrafts.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_Flower_Vase Category:Projects Category:CraftsCategory:Paper Category:Projects Category:Easter